Compass

Lefty in the school - The Odd One Out at School

Has your left-handed child lost interest at school? The reason may be abuse due to his left-handed behaviour. The educational difficulties of left-handed children are much more serious than most people realize. While we now accept left-handers in our schools, we do not do enough to help them overcome the obstacles they may face. Many left-handed children become lost in schools geared toward teaching right-handers. With a more difficult time getting a good education, left-handers are less likely to grow up to become healthy and productive members of the society. Myths about left-handers throughout history have generally been negative ones. Left-handers were thought to be less coordinated and less educated, and more likely to become criminals or social deviates. These myths are the main reason that most left-handers were forced to become right-handed, and still are being forced in many parts of the world. Moreover, even places where they are not actively being forced, There is still a lot of gentle persuasion going on. Resistance to a child's hand preference can turn these myths into reality. Even subtle resistance can be harmful, as every attempt to make them use their right hand takes away an opportunity for them to develop their left hand skills. Each time they are told that they are using the wrong hand; more damage is done to their self-confidence and their ability to learn. Because of the mixed signals they get during their first five years, many left-handed children are less prepared for the start of school than the average right-hander might be.

What is the trouble?Left-handers have a more difficult time with are learning to write, learning to use scissors, and learning various crafts, hobbies, and sports activities. While some left-handers adjust better than others and manage to learn these activities, many others struggle with them all of their lives. Sometimes right-handed instructions and instructors confuse left-handers, while other times it is right-handed equipment that stumps them. There has been much discussion about the different learning process of right-brain-dominant versus left-brain-dominant children. There is some merit to the study of neurology and the workings of the brain, but there may be too much effort to analyze left-handers and to stereotype them. While left-handers are supposed to be more creative than right-handers, not all left-handers become great artists. And while some left-handers have more difficulty in certain subjects like math or science, many of them are very good at these subjects. While school is not the root of all of the problems facing left-handed children, it can provide solutions to them. Proper training for teachers would help many left-handed children overcome their difficulties. We must not stifle the natural ability and creative talents of left-handers, and just allowing them to be left-handed is not quite good enough. We must help them achieve all of their potential so that more of them can grow up to be happy, healthy, productive members of society. Read on and see if simple techniques can help you and your child to deal with the problem better.